Norma M. Nelson

Feb. 4, 1922 - Jan. 2, 2006

Feb. 4, 1922 - Jan. 2, 2006

January 04, 2006

Norma Mae Nelson, 83, went home to be with her Lord Jesus Christ on January 2, 2006, at 4:20 p.m., with her family present, in her home at 6438 E. Waco Dr., Syracuse, Ind., where she had been living with her son, Jack, and his wife, Deborah. They had cared for her for 8 years because of an extended illness. For the last 10 months she also had wonderful hospice care in their home.

Norma Mae Nelson, 83, went home to be with her Lord Jesus Christ on January 2, 2006, at 4:20 p.m., with her family present, in her home at 6438 E. Waco Dr., Syracuse, Ind., where she had been living with her son, Jack, and his wife, Deborah. They had cared for her for 8 years because of an extended illness. For the last 10 months she also had wonderful hospice care in their home.

She was born on February 4, 1922, in Wakarusa, Ind. to Ross H. and Nora M. Sawyer and graduated from Wakarusa High School in 1940. She married Russell Raymond Â?RayÂ? Nelson of Elkhart, Ind. on December 21, 1941, in Wakarusa, and after living a couple of years in Florida while her husband was in the Army, and living for three years in Syracuse, they became life-long residents of Wakarusa. They were married for 45 years when he preceded her to heaven on December 23,1986.

Norma was a woman of many skills and had several occupations throughout her life. She worked for her father at their slaughter house in Wakarusa starting at age seven; began working at Sawyer's Meat Market in South Bend, and at the Fanner's Market in 1937 for three to four days a week until she retired in 1986. In 1947 she became a partner with her husband, Ray, in the restaurant business at the Nelson's Drive-in, in Syracuse, where she became famous for her homemade pies. They also had two other restaurants for several years, the Handy Dandy in Elkhart, Ind. and Charlie's Restaurant in Nappanee, Ind. She also managed Charlie's Restaurant in Elkhart, where her three home-cooked meals five days a week and homemade pies were very much loved by many customers. During her later years she was a professional gardener and landscape artist until she retired at 76 years of age. One of her favorite skills was teaching Sunday School at the Bible Baptist Church in Wakarusa, where she had been a long time member. Another outstanding skill that brought her joy was meeting other people's needs and caring for the sick as well as being a great mother and grandmother. The last skill to be mentioned here was the one she was last using - that of being a great prayer warrior for anyone or any need of which she was aware.

She is survived by her daughter, Brenda (Mrs. John Reinebach) now living in the Los Angeles, Calif. area called Glendora; Jack E. (Deborah) Nelson of Syracuse; three brothers, Wayne and Larry Sawyer, both of Wakarusa and Tom Sawyer of Boise, Idaho. She has three grandchildren, Chett, Lydia, and Stephanie; and three great-grandchildren.

Her body may be viewed at the Thompson-Lengacher & Yoder Funeral Home in Wakarusa, IN, 501 North Elkhart Street, from 4 to 8 p.m. on Thursday evening, January 5, 2006.

The service celebrating her life will be officiated by Pastor David Harper in the Bible Baptist Church in Wakarusa, on Waterford Street, on Friday, January 6, 2006, at 11:00 a.m. Her body will be laid to rest at the South Union Cemetery immediately following the service.

The family is requesting that memorials be designated to the Bible Baptist Church in Wakarusa or Kosciusko Home Care & Hospice, Inc. in Warsaw, IN.